Family History: It's your Project, do it your way

When researching your family history you'll find no shortage of advice. My advice to you: take only what you want. There are dozens of ways to undertake the project and the right one is the one that makes you happy. If you aren't interested in cousins or maternal family lines, ignore them. If you are dead-set on exact spelling matches only, go ahead and do it your way. This is your project and you don't have to listen to anyone.

That's not to say you won't make decisions that will lead you to dead ends by refusing advice, or that another way wouldn't have turned up more results. It's just what it is; family history is your own adventure, so don't let anyone take it away from you.